


KlanceTober

by AsagaoSylph



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Arachnophobia, Childhood Friends, Drabbles, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Falling In Love, Family Fluff, First Kiss, Getting Together, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (Voltron) is a Good Boyfriend, Klancetober 2020, Lance (Voltron) is a Good Boyfriend, Love Confessions, M/M, Memes, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, One Shot Collection, Pidge | Katie Holt is a Good Friend, Team as Family, Vines, klance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:49:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26748334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagaoSylph/pseuds/AsagaoSylph
Summary: A series of one-shots and drabbles of Klance shenanigans that I will hopefully finish during this month! Please enjoy, everyone!
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 30





	1. Getting Together

Keith sighed, plopping down beside Lance at the breakfast table and yawning out a greeting.

“Good morning, emo sunshine!” Teased Lance, elbowing Keith in the side and gulping down a bowl of fruit a little too fast for Keith’s comfort level. “You gonna eat air today or would you like an actual breakfast?”

Keith grumbled something before plonking his head onto the table and enduring Lance’s chuckles beside him. He had been up past three in the morning training and, while Lance usually dragged him to bed at midnight, the newly appointed Red Paladin had seemed a little busy. With what, Keith had no clue, but it was kind of funny to watch Lance dash past the windows periodically, often with a Pidge on his shoulders or a Hunk being piggybacked with surprising determination. It was like a taste of sunlight after a week of endless rain.

“Okay, stay with me,” called Lance, snapping his fingers in front of Keith’s face as a heavy _thunk_ hit the table in front of him; Keith glanced up as Lance dunked a spoon into a bowl of cereal and pushed it towards him. “Look, I’ve only got a few ticks; Allura needs me to handle a diplomatic meeting today while she handles a traditional Altean ceremony with the Puigians. If Pidge comes in before ten o’clock, fight the gremlin back into bed; I only managed to force her into sleep at two this morning. Keep Hunk off his feet today because he twisted his ankle the other day and, if I catch you in the training logs when I come back, I’m going to ream you through the ground!”

Keith batted at his hand like a cat, nearly knocking over the bowl, and the taller boy rolled his eyes. “Look, I need you to make sure everyone takes the day off. Yesterday was…tiring. They need a break. _You_ need a break.”

Keith shifted in his seat, brow darkening with an impending storm, and Lance’s hand slid over his shoulder softly. They had been so sure of that lead, so positive that one ship would at least have a clue about Shiro, that maybe they’d finally found him, but…

“Seriously, man, you’ve got to start taking better care of yourself. You’re setting a bad example for the team.”

Keith scowled, but Lance just leveled Keith with a glare as he shrugged off his jacket, revealing an Altean suit that stole all of Keith’s breath with one glance and short-circuited his brain with a second. “Anyway, I’m figuring you know how to relax, since you actively avoid it,” teased Lance, flashing a wink at Keith. “So, look after everyone for me, okay? This mission looks a bit…dicey.”

Keith had no clue what he was nodding to, but it made Lance’s smile turn into a ray of sunshine, so it couldn’t have been anything bad.

“Great! I’m counting on you, team leader,” said Lance, picking up his lunch box from the table and leaning down to kiss Keith’s forehead. “Love you, be back by dinner.”

Lance sprinted from the room, formal boots clunking down the halls without a second glance backwards as Keith sat perfectly still, eyes frozen on the wall in front of him and jaw hanging. He was pretty sure steam was spilling out his ears right then, and the faintest giggle behind him seemed to confirm it.

“Good morning, Keith,” called Allura, pulling out the chair beside him as a smile played across her lips. “Enjoying your morning?”

“Bye!”

Allura had to raise a hand to catch her laugh as Keith fled from the room, red burning across every inch of his skin, and she tugged his bowl of keneal in front of herself.

“He’s still in the hangar bay if you go _really_ fast!” She shouted after the fleeing figure, popping a spoonful of what the paladins insisted on calling _cereal_ into her mouth. “Altea above, they’re worse than mother and father were…”

“Red, let me in and _stop laughing!_ ” Shrieked Lance as Red’s cosmic chuckles bounced through their bond. “It was just instinct, quiznak! Look, we both know I like Keith, so can we move on and finish this mission before we’re late?!”

The doors whooshed open behind him, and Red’s chuckles turned into full-blown roars of laughter as Keith staggered in with roses high on his cheeks and night tangles still dominating his hair. Lance gulped.

“Uhhhhhh, hey…buddy…”

Red rolled her eyes astrally, and Keith huffed as he dropped hands on his knees, Lance’s smile already cracking on his perfectly painted face. After all, he was used to rejection.

Just not heartbreak.

Lance bounced on his heels, shifting his weight as Keith panted, and his eyes flickered to the watch ticking steadily on his wrist. “Uh, I’ve really got to get moving,” he admitted, jutting a thumb towards Red as his smile began to flake. “So, like—”

“Space mall!” Shouted Keith, jerking his head up as Lance stood petrified in front of him, those lovely lips pursed in a way they never should be; like they were waiting for an inevitable pain. “When you come back! I’ll take you out only if you make it back to me, okay?!”

Lance’s eyes glowed, his lips trembling their way into an honest smile, and Keith’s heart unraveled for the beautiful boy in front of him as tears of pure light joined his sunshine grin.

“Sounds like a deal to me, Samurai!”


	2. First Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’d be more intimidating if you didn’t look like a deflated tomato,” she deadpanned. “Face it, Lance is ruining your emo vibe with his sunshine aura of dorkishness.”
> 
> “Excuse you!” Cried Lance, whipping up to scowl at her. “I am the epitome of a cool, collected, fearless leaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA SHIRO YOU SAID YOU GOT RID OF ALL THE SPACE SPIDERS!”

Lance flopped into Keith’s lap with a groan, sweat soaking through his sleeveless hoodie while Keith tilted his head back to hide the raspberries making themselves at home in his cheeks. Shiro giggled, tossing some water packs at them along with an wink that seemed to travel through his whole body, and Keith fixed him with a supreme murder glare. Pidge just snorted.

“You’d be more intimidating if you didn’t look like a deflated tomato,” she deadpanned. “Face it, Lance is ruining your emo vibe with his sunshine aura of dorkishness.”

“Excuse you!” Cried Lance, whipping up to scowl at her. “I am the epitome of a cool, collected, fearless leaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA SHIRO YOU SAID YOU GOT RID OF ALL THE SPACE SPIDERS!”

“Oh, uh, guess I missed one?”

Lance let out a bloodcurdling scream, backflipping over Keith and clinging to him like his life depended on it, his voice only going higher and higher as his eyes slammed shut. Hunk yanked out his bayard, and Pidge flung her gauntlet at the offending space spider with a roar. Keith sprayed water at it, patting Lance’s arms jerkily as his boyfriend screamed his ear off, and Shiro revved up his prosthetic arm. Allura marched over, swelling into a different species Keith didn’t recognize and was too big for him to do anything but flinch back from, and crushed the offending arachnide under her foot.

“Did it bite Lance? Is he okay?” She asked, quickly returning to her normal size with a furrow dotting her brow as Lance continued to tremble behind Keith. “He isn’t allergic is he? I don’t think they have nuts in their teeth!”

“It’s a phobia,” replied Pidge, grimacing at the neon green goo now oozing over the floor. “It’s a really strong fear response. He’s trained himself to curb it if he knows the thing is coming but, if it surprises him, his body just goes into fight or flight.”

She sighed, twisting to lock eyes with Shiro, whose gaze was splitting between her and the shaking Lance. “I’ll go grab a mop; Shiro, can you get a bucket? I don’t want Lance seeing that stuff. He’ll feel like they’re crawling all over him for vargas.”

Shiro paled, dashing after the smaller girl, and Hunk steered Allura and Coran away to answer the rapid-fire barrage of questions they were spitting out. Keith glanced back as Lance buried his face in his boyfriend’s t-shirt, his whimpers dying down, and Keith thanked whatever deities were up there that had made Allura decide that they were doing speed training without armor today. He didn’t want his boyfriend having to hide behind that unforgiving metal.

“Uh, hey, it’s dead,” managed Keith, swallowing the desire to summon a baseball bat and knock himself into a home run; he wasn’t good at this stuff! “It’s, uh, not going to hurt you. Or touch you. It’s…kind of dead. Like, really dead.”

Lance snorted, and Keith’s heart quickened as a smile tugged at his lips. “Like, _Altean-princess-wrath levels of dead_. I thought Shiro was going to straight up burn it into oblivion, and Pidge looked like she was going to vaporize it with her eyes alone!”

Lance let out a choking laugh, nuzzling further into Keith’s shirt, but with a slow swish of the head this time instead of the tunneling mole of death earlier.

“Yeah, they’ve seen me lose my quiznak a few times over spiders,” he admitted. “Probably more than a little sick of my freak outs.”

Keith scowled as Lance drew back, glass smile splintering across his lips, and a coal of rage ignited in his stomach. He was the Red Paladin after all, he wasn’t exactly known for his—

“Don’t just go around assuming stuff like that!” He snapped, Lance’s eyes blowing wide.

—impulse control. Aw, quiznak. Keith turned away, gritting his teeth as Lance continued to gape at him. “If you were just a nuisance, Pidge and I would have kicked you to the curb ages ago. So quit kicking yourself around, that’s for me and Allura to do in the sparring ring.”

Lance snorted, a quick little sound that reminded Keith of his adorable giggle, and Keith’s heart beat in time with the growth of his boyfriend’s smile.

“You’re such a dork,” he teased, that special smile gentle on his lips, and Keith felt all the air and fire leave his body at once; how did this boy do this to him?! “And for the record, I kick your butt, like, half the time!”

“Lance, I don’t think you’ve ever won.”

“Nah, I’m about to.”

Keith opened his mouth, about to tell him off for trying to get into the sparring ring after a panic attack, when soft lips slid over his own. His heart burst in his chest before his brain even caught up to what happened, and Lance’s kiss spread over him like a sunflower blooming across his skin. Sunlight flooded his veins, bursting through his chest like supernovas, and Lance’s smile curved into Keith’s own lips.

“I win,” whispered Lance against his love’s kiss as a sauna poured from Keith’s head.

Keith flopped into Lance’s lap with a groan, sweat soaking through his t-shirt while Lance tilted his head down to giggle with raspberries making themselves at home in his cheeks. “Awwwwww, what’s wrong, baaaaabe~?”

“Shut up, McClain.”

“Why don’t you come up here and make me, Kogane?”

“Oh, it is _on_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!
> 
> WATCH ME TRY TO FINISH MIOP THIS WEEKEND, THE FINALE IS ACTUALLY INSANE PLEASE ENJOY THIS CUTE SNIPPET UNTIL I SUBJECT Y'ALL TO THAT, ENJOY!


	3. Childhood Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Alright, I’m going to go steal a prince now! You need to come and win him back so he falls in love with you, Noodle!” Cheered Keith, dashing across the park and latching his arms around the stomach of the prettiest boy he saw.

“AAAAAAAAAAA YOU FREAK!” Screeched James, provoking a round of shrieks from the kids around as they dashed as far away from the tiny boy crouched on the ground in front of them.

Keith tilted his head, violet eyes tracking the screaming children as the giant snake he had befriended curled a little tighter around his wrist. A pout puffed at his already chubby cheeks, the beginning of a storm darkening his brow, and Noodle nuzzled at his hand. Noodle hadn’t even done anything to them! If it weren’t for the delicate creature curled around him tenderly, he would dash after those kids and bash some sense into them, they were just being plain rude!

“Don’t worry, Noodle, I won’t ever be like them,” grumbled Keith, sticking his free hand back into the ground and roughing up the sand to make a little warm bath for Noodle. “You’re my friend.”

Keith slid Noodle into the warm patch of sun, flipping the burning grains over the snake and, he swore, drawing a smile across her scaly lips as the little boy petted her head. “Let’s play the dragon and the knight! You be the knight this time and I’ll be the big, cool dragon!”

Noodle flicked her tail through the warm sand, blinking slowly up at the human who had saved her from drowning and taken her in like she hadn’t automatically tried to bite him when he pulled her from the river. Keith jumped up, extending his arms like wings and roaring as he ran in circles, and Noodle flopped on her stomach as she watched him with a giggle vibrating through her scales.

“Alright, I’m going to go steal a prince now! You need to come and win him back so he falls in love with you, Noodle!” Cheered Keith, dashing across the park and latching his arms around the stomach of the prettiest boy he saw.

The dark-skinned boy let out a shriek as the tiny boy lifted him into the air and started sprinting away.

“¡¿Qué estás haciendo?!” Cried the boy, a laugh bubbling beneath his words at the determined tilt to the puffy-cheeked boy’s lips.

Keith had no clue what that meant, but he knew he would probably be bewildered if someone picked him up and ran off. Well, he might also be kicking and biting, but he appreciated this boy’s restraint.

“I’m kidnapping you over there,” replied Keith, pointing to the sandbox where Noodle lay waiting patiently for him. “Then Noodle’s going to save you and you can fall in love with her, and you can go back home together.”

The boy let out a bubbling laugh, his brown hands sliding over Keith’s own fingers, which were starting to tremble under his weight.

“Alright, if you’re going to introduce me to an awesome pretty girl, I’ll help you kidnap me,” joked the boy, prying Keith’s hands away and dropping to the ground. “I’m Lance, by the way. Nice to meet you!”

He seized Keith’s palm, dashing towards the sandbox and turning to flash a smile at the smaller boy as he pulled him along. Keith’s eyes blew wide, swimming with the sunshine dancing in this beautiful boy’s grin. His fingers tingled under Lance’s touch, and a strange nostalgia flooded his small body he barely recognized, like this was a hand he had touched a thousand times before.

Like his random decision of a prince to kidnap might have actually been spot on.

“Okay, so right here?” Asked Lance, hopping into the sandbox, and Keith let out a yelp.

“Careful, you’re going to crush Noodle!” He screamed, leaping into the sand and swirling it around to try and find his friend. “Noodle? Noodle!”

“Oh, hey, sorry to disturb you, buddy,” suddenly said Lance, who had dropped to his hands and knees the second Keith had joined him, as he relaid a bit of sand over an orange head. “Stay warm, little man.”

“Noodle!” Cried Keith, crawling over to his friend, and Noodle flickered her tongue out at him with a sly smile. “You’re okay! Here, I brought you a prince to save!”

Lance’s smile only grew wider.

“Dude, you’re friends with a snake? That’s awesome! So cool!”

Keith blinked, and Lance flopped on his back, careful to not crush Noodle with any of his flailing limbs, and closed his eyes. “Oh, dearest Noodle, please come and save me! The great evil……”

Lance popped open one eye, glancing at Keith and tilting his head. “Wait, what did you say your name was?”

“Keith,” breathed the small boy, and Lance flashed him that glowing smile again.

“Gracias. The great, evil, Lord Keith has captured me! Please, I implore you, come and save me so that I may fall in love with you and go home!”

Keith giggled, and Noodle snuggled into the sand to fall asleep as her human started running around and flapping his arms as he gave baby roars while Lance called out for her to come and save him. After all, with those shining eyes fixated on Keith, she had the feeling that there was someone else that Lance wanted to pull him out of the sand. And, as Keith noticed and let out a booming laugh, offering a hand to Lance only to get yanked down to snuggle into the boy’s side and join in his cloud-watching adventures, Noodle dreamt of joy for the two friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!
> 
> ¡¿Qué estás haciendo?! = What are you doing?!
> 
> Sorry for the late update, MIOP is kicking my ass and school is kicking my ass and my period is kicking my ass and the 24-challenge kicked my ass woULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO JOIN IN?!  
> In all seriousness, these were so fun to write, I really hope you guys enjoy!


	4. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance tore out of bed as a scream cut through the night, freeing him from another nightmare, and he was out of the room before he was even awake. Shiro dashed out, Hunk stumbled into the hallway, and Pidge nearly ripped the door off its hinges in her own headlong sprint. Lance’s blood turned to ice as Keith’s door remained shut. A faint whimper trickled through the air, and Pidge’s lip trembled silently at the broken call for help. They all recognized the telltale sounds of a nightmare too clearly.

Lance tore out of bed as a scream cut through the night, freeing him from another nightmare, and he was out of the room before he was even awake. Shiro dashed out, Hunk stumbled into the hallway, and Pidge nearly ripped the door off its hinges in her own headlong sprint. Lance’s blood turned to ice as Keith’s door remained shut. A faint whimper trickled through the air, and Pidge’s lip trembled silently at the broken call for help. They all recognized the telltale sounds of a nightmare too clearly.

“Okay, Keith won’t want a fuss made out of this,” warned Shiro. “And he’s not going to want crowding. Pidge, Hunk, Lance, you can all go back to bed, I’ll—”

“Ohhhhhhhhh nonononono you don’t,” cut in Lance, striding to Keith’s door and placing his hand on the scanner. “He has my hand programmed into this for a reason. You all go to sleep for now. Hunk, I’ll let you know what he’ll want most for breakfast tomorrow,” promised Lance with a quick grin at his friend, “and Pidge, I’ll figure out what video game he’s going to be most psyched about.”

Pidge and Hunk saluted, twin yawns pulling at their lips, and Pidge nearly fell over as the adrenaline wore off. Hunk shooed her back to bed, and Lance locked his gaze on Shiro, the older man’s eyes pinched around the edges. “Shiro, he’s going to definitely want you to join him for training first thing tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

Shiro’s lips quirked up just a little, and Lance flashed him a wink before dipping into Keith’s room and closing the doors. He turned, darkness swarming his vision, but he knew exactly how his boyfriend was curled up on the bed, blanket scrunched over his legs and head bowed to hide the tremors tearing up his spine.

“Hey, baby,” called Lance softly, the pet name he only used when Keith was left with all his armor shattered around the room and a promise that Lance wouldn’t hurt him, “it’s me, your boyfriend.”

Keith shuddered on the mattress, and Lance stole across the room to crouch beside his bed. “Keith, sweetheart, I’m right here. You’re safe. You’re loved. You’re in control.”

Keith’s breath stuttered, the blankets clenched in his fists loosening slightly as the mantra that only ever flowed between the two of them overflowed into the room. He raised his head, sobs hitching in his breath as he took in Lance’s crouched form, and his boyfriend cocked a smile at him.

“I’ve got you, Keith,” promised Lance, curling his fingers tenderly around the hand reached out towards him, “We’re in the Castle of Lions, it’s nighttime, and I’m right here. I just saw everyone, they’re all okay and are sleeping. It’s alright. We’re all here with you. You’re safe. You’re loved. You’re in control.”

Keith exhaled limply, and Lance took that as an invitation to crawl into bed behind him. “Touch okay?”

Keith shivered out a nod, and Lance slowly placed his hands on Keith’s shoulders. He guided his love’s vulnerable back against his chest, shielding him as he wrapped an arm around Keith’s stomach with just the faintest amount of pressure, of a reminder, of a promise that he was safe. Lance slid an arm up his chest, applying the same amount of force against it, and allowing Keith’s arm full range of movement. He pressed a hand against Keith’s heart, which was ricocheting around in his chest like a rocket, and let their feet brush tenderly as a faint reminder that all of him was under Lance’s protection right then. It was okay to fall apart, Lance was there to guard those pieces and help him glue himself back together again afterwards.

“You want to talk about it?” He murmured, resting his chin on his boyfriend’s vibrating shoulders, and Keith shook his head fiercely. “Okay, that’s okay, baby,” soothed Lance, rocking them gently on the bed. “Everything’s okay. You want me to talk? Sing?”

Keith hesitated, curling into Lance’s chest, and Lance rubbed soft circles into his side. The faint hum of the Castle of Lions around them soaked into the room, and Keith’s breathing began to synch up to his boyfriend’s pressing into his back.

“Sing?”

Lance smiled as his boyfriend’s request fluttered out, and he gave him a little squeeze. Keith’s shoulders pressed more loosely into his back, and he finally let his head thump against Lance’s shoulder, turning into his neck to press silent tears into his skin. So, rocking his boyfriend as the night washed on, Lance sang out in as many languages as he could remember. The Japanese lullabies Keith had grown up on, the Spanish ones Lance had sung his little royals to sleep with, the English ones he had learned as he grew up, all of them wafted through the air, dancing until colors lit up the dark room, and wrapping around Keith like a warm blanket. They curled over his chest, seeping into his heart, and building a home for him right here in Lance’s arms.

Keith sighed, tears sliding down his cheeks, and he let them fall freely. He was safe here. And, as Lance continued his tender songs, tripping slightly on the Japanese pronunciations, Keith went limp against his chest, a silent trust thumping between their two hearts.

_I know I’m safe to be honest with you._

_And you always will be. I promise._

And if he didn’t feel better in the morning, that would be okay. Lance would be there for him, no matter what, and that was all that Keith needed. Lance was all he would ever need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!


	5. Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sir, I am a bisexual polyamorous switch; I have never made a decision in my life and I’m not going to start now.”

Keith was not looking forward to meeting his soulmate. Not at all. Would actively turn and run if he ever saw the idiot. Okay, no, maybe not, maybe he’d rather just punch the guy and get it over with, if he was being honest, because what sort of idiot opened _any_ conversation with something like—

“CADET MCCLAIN, EXPLAIN YOURSELF!” Roared Iverson, steam billowing from his nostrils like a bull at the smiling cadet in front of him.

Keith grimaced; getting on Iverson’s bad side never resulted in anything good, what had this poor boy with…sparkling blue eyes……sunshine carved in his dimples……… _oh no—_

“WELL?! HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN YOUR DECISIONS TODAY?!”

“Sir, I am a bisexual polyamorous switch; I have never made a decision in my life and I’m not going to start now.”

“DO NOT MEME AT ME, CADET!”

Keith nearly shrieked with laughter, and Lance spun at the sound that outshone any bells as the beautiful boy in the hallway doubled over cackling.

“That’s it. Move, I’m gay,” declared Keith, shoving his way over and catching Lance’s wrist to sprint away from the screeching commander behind them.

He glanced over his shoulder at the rosy blush taking over Lance’s cheeks, biting down the flames licking over his own, and matching soft smiles overpowered their lips.

“Actually, I think I will start now. Want to go out later tonight, soulmate?” Breathed Lance, catching up with Keith as they sprinted down the halls, and Keith threw his head back with a peal of laughter.

Maybe an idiot was exactly what he needed in his life. After all, he was a pretty great idiot himself.

“How about now?” He challenged. “Race you to my hoverbike. It’s the red one in the park.”

“Last one there has to pay for ice cream!”

Keith grinned as they burst through the doors together, neck and neck, hands just grazing, and something fluttered deep in his stomach that had nothing to do with the stream of roaring teachers behind them.

“You’re on, Bright Eyes!”

Maybe it had more to do with the feeling of Lance’s fingers threading through his as they ran off together like the pair of idiots they were, already falling in love before they even hit the hoverbike. And maybe being idiots was okay as long as they were idiots in love together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!
> 
> A surprisingly short chapter; since they're younger in this, they're the most spontaneous dumbasses ever and I love them.


	6. Alien Planet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Okay, who wants a ride on the LanceyLance Express?” Asked Lance, grinning as he bent down to allow a little boy to clamber onto his back. “Step right up, there’s plenty of room!”
> 
> A faint chuckle echoed behind him, and Lance steadied the kid on his back before turning with a grin already spreading across his lips.

Lance cheered as he swung one of the Jailyu children high into the air, twirling her around as she squealed, her four arms flailing her hair melting from orange to a bright yellow that rivaled the sun above. Well, half-sun. The latest planet that Voltron had liberated spun around a sun that had tried to explode thousands of decaphoebs ago, but the Jailyu’s best alchemists had managed to contain most of the blast, keeping half of their star functional solely on the magic within their life force. However, the lack of heat had left it strewn with ice that shimmered between millions of colors depending on the time of day, half-blinding Pidge when she had stepped off her Lion. She had shrieked like the devil itself had assaulted her and bolted back inside. Lance giggled at the memory, setting the laughing child on his shoulders as a crowd of them latched onto his legs and reached out to grab at his hands.

Pidge was such a coding vampire.

“Okay, who wants a ride on the LanceyLance Express?” Asked Lance, grinning as he bent down to allow a little boy to clamber onto his back. “Step right up, there’s plenty of room!”

A faint chuckle echoed behind him, and Lance steadied the kid on his back before turning with a grin already spreading across his lips.

“Keith! Hey, buddy!”

Keith leaned against an iced tree, arms folded and that soft tilt to his lips which always sent Lance’s heart into backflips.

“Hey, Loverboy,” teased Keith like he couldn’t see the blush rapidly exploding over his boyfriend’s cheeks. “You got everyone into a panic looking for you; let us know next time you run off to play.”

Lance gave a sheepish laugh, twirling two of the littlest ones until trails of golden giggles flowed after them.

“Not my fault Shiro didn’t hear my warning,” he replied with a wink, lowering the two on his back to the ground and allowing two more to clamber on. “Everyone can’t help but want a piece of Voltron’s greatest Sharpshooter!”

Keith just shook his head with an airy laugh as Lance twirled across the ice, gaining squeals from the rest of the kids around him and sending a flush into his frozen cheeks. While Shiro, Allura, and Coran had retreated into the heated castle to sign a treaty, Pidge and Hunk had hidden inside the Castle of Lions with yowls about how freezing it was outside. Keith had been en route to join them (he grew up in a desert, screw ice) when he noticed their resident summer boy wasn’t anywhere in sight. Because _of course_ he would run off to flirt with the locals, drawing laughter from them, and play with all the little kids that would come near him.

Having children around always seemed to inject pure sunshine into Lance’s smile.

“Hey, Keith! Come over and join, there’s plenty of kids to turn you into the Great Paladin Mountain!” Called Lance, throwing a wink at his boyfriend along with a soft kiss, and it took every ounce of the steel melded into Keith’s soul for him not to instantly melt.

He gave the matching crystal necklaces in his pocket a quick squeeze, the smooth surface strangely soft under his touch, and the light shimmering off the ground swept around him in a halo of glitter as he dashed to the love of his life. Lance’s smile was glowing off his face, lighting the crystals under his feet with a gorgeous blue like he was dancing atop the sea itself. And, as Keith left a trail of fire behind him, catching Lance’s hand and tugging it to his lips for a kiss, the crystals lit up like a blooming lilac.

“Happy one month, Lance.”

Lance grinned, picking up one of the kids and placing them atop Keith’s shoulders to lean in for a kiss.

“Happy one month, Keith.”

After all, Keith wasn’t the only one who had hit up the outdoor mall for gifts. Lance giggled as his boyfriend flushed under the onslaught of kids wanting to clamber all over him, skipping over to help the flustered paladin with crowd control. Keith may not be the slickest guy ever, but he was the most caring one. And, as they ran around with alien children on a crystalized planet for their one month, hand-in-hand, Lance threw back his head and let out a peal of laughter that was more beautiful than Keith could ever have imagined. After all, only Keith could draw it out of him. He was everything Lance had wanted and, more than that, everything he had ever needed.

And Lance couldn’t wait to celebrate a thousand more anniversaries with him just like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!
> 
> AAAAAAAnd whose school is on the offense as always? THIS NONBINARY FUCK!


	7. Spa Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look, Lance was a creature of habit and he was proud to admit it. Every Friday, once the demon capta—uh, Allura—released them from their torturous training, Lance had a whole routine that he had never once missed.

Look, Lance was a creature of habit and he was proud to admit it. Every Friday, once the demon capta—uh, Allura—released them from their torturous training, Lance had a whole routine that he had never once missed. He would shower and dunk down into a bubble bath filled with his bath bomb of the week and as much space epsom salt as he could fill it with while not poisoning himself. He would style his hair until it would reach optimal fluffiness upon dryness, rub face cream across his cheeks, and cover his hands in lotion while watching the stupidest vince collections he had accumulated over the movement. Pidge would sometimes plunk herself down in his room and steal some of the cream as well, reenacting the best vines with him and videotaping them to throw at Hunk later; Allura would sweep in half the time to join him, rubbing the lotion into his palms and massaging his wrists (they were always in the worst shape after a shooting-intensive movement) and he would give her a back massage because _she always needed one_ while desperately trying to explain the latest vines to her. Occasionally, Lance would drag Shiro in to attack him with all the self-care that the older man would allow Lance to shower him with, and Hunk would often trundle in to share in the skin care and cackle along with the vines. The craziest were when Lance could rope Pidge _and_ Hunk into joining him, but this time, it looked like a solo night. Shiro had gone to bed early, Allura and Coran were trying to fix a flaw in the Castle system, and Hunk was keeping Pidge company while she plowed through another lead on Matt.

Lance didn’t mind. As he dried off, he took a deep breath and finally let the tension slip away with the water swarming the bath drain. He may be an extrovert, but even Lance needed a break from people every now and then. Plus, he could finally tip his chin back, exhale, and let the smile drop off his lips. He was alone now, it was safe. He didn’t need to keep up the front right now.

Maybe that was what Lance loved most about these nights. The chance to not have the responsibility of the team’s morale on his shoulders. And yeah, sure, Keith was the Black Paladin, he was only the Red one, but Lance was acutely aware of the way the tension could shatter with a single joke, with even the fakest of laughs, with the small smiles only he seemed to be able to pull from his space family. And, really, Lance didn’t mind it, he actually enjoyed it, but……

Well, every now and then, it was nice to just let all that go.

“Lance!” Called Keith, grabbing his shoulder, and Lance clamped down on his tongue to keep from screeching. “Finally found you! Come on!”

Lance barely fought back a growl as Keith dragged him from the bathroom, just barely clothed in his fluffiest pajamas and ticks away from scratching his teammate’s eyes out. Because, of course there had to be an emergency during the one time that was supposed to be for him! Because! Of! Course!

But, as he sped up to overtake Keith, Lance closed his eyes and reconciled himself to his fate. Lance was a Defender of the Universe, after all. The creams would have to wait.

Lance burst into the lounge, shoulders raised and teeth gritted, and Keith stumbled in after him with a slight huff.

“Uhhhhh, where’s everyone else?” He asked, twisting around with hawkish eyes, taking in the swollen white shopping bags, and Keith’s flushed face.

“Shiro and I went to the space mall for supplies and I…well, I heard you talking to Pidge and Hunk the other day about how bad your shoulders were getting, and that could really mess us up on missions. So, I grabbed something for you. Don’t need you messing up more than you already do.”

Keith reached into the bag nearest to him, yanking out something that looked like a blue weighted blanket cut into a short cape with a cord attached, and shoved it into Lance’s hands. “It’s a heating pad. Should help to loosen them up. A-Also change your posture, it’s terrible.”

Lance’s eyes were stuck on extra-large mode, flipping between the pad and Keith’s boiling cheeks, and his heart skipped a strange little tune in his chest. A smile curled tentatively at his lips.

Because he’d never actually said anything to Pidge and Hunk about how bad his shoulders had been feeling recently.

“Hey, Keith…”

Maybe there was somewhere else where he could just let it all go.

“…Wanna join in my spa night tonight?”

Keith blinked, and Lance nearly kicked himself. “Wait, right, sorry! You’re, uh, not into stuff like that. Sorry. I’ll, uh, just…”

Lance jabbed a thumb at the door, speedwalking his robotic way over, and Keith huffed out a laugh.

“On one condition.”

Lance whipped around faster than he thought possible, jaw dropping, and Keith laughed brighter than the sun. “Makeup stays on the other side of the room. Lead the way, Lance.”

Or maybe _someone else._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing!
> 
> I will add appropriate tags as I complete each chapter so that I'm not tricking anyone if I don't finish. Also, I've set a challenge for myself for this KlanceTober: everything must be three pages or less. I've gotten okay at drawing out moments, now I need to learn when not to do that. Also, MIOP is still under construction, so fear not! KlanceTober shall not stall my magnum opus to my favorite fandom!


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